The Fund: How did you end up pursuing a career in education?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: I am a native Chicagoan and a 海角直播 high school graduate. While in college, I realized I wanted to become a teacher. I was lucky enough to obtain a job at the elementary school located in the neighborhood where I grew up.

The Fund: What neighborhood did you grow up in?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: The Ashburn neighborhood on the Southwest Side near Bogan High School. I began working at Dawes Elementary, which is right behind it, and taught sixth grade language arts and science. While there, my love of middle school began, and I’ve just always felt really passionate about helping kids see their potential and be their best selves. I’ve always wanted to help the kids who need help most 鈥� the kids who saw the least in themselves.

I earned my first master鈥檚 in instructional technology, I was genuinely interested in bringing technology and a constructivist learning model into the classroom. This was one of the things I most enjoyed about teaching science; I like helping students build their own learning.

After 10 years in the classroom, I shifted to teaching library and technology skills. I also coached alongside teachers around technology integration and content areas like math and science. I taught and coached at Sandoval Elementary on the Southwest Side for eight years.

A close colleague I worked with at Sandoval joined Albany Park Multicultural Academy as the assistant principal. I was lucky enough to then join her at Albany Park as an instructional coach. Soon after, I became assistant principal and eventually principal. Albany Park is a long way from the South Side, but it鈥檚 so amazing to craft what we do around our niche of students.

The Fund: What has been your experience with The Fund?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: The previous principal, Hiliana Le贸n, connected me with The Fund. She participated in the Cahn Fellows Program through Columbia University in 2018. I was her ally in the program. When she left, the first thing I did as a new principal was join a Professional Learning Community. That really helped me connect with other principals around a like-minded topic. I saw ways that we could work together, problem-solve, and focus on seeing the results of whatever it was we were working on, be it student achievement or teacher professional development. It became an important component for my own growth. I was always reflecting, what does my school need? What does my staff need?

The Fund: Can you share about your experience with The Fund鈥檚 Design Challenge?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: The Design Challenge certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was during a time we were coming through a year of practicing survival skills more often than thriving ones. I was really nervous about doing it. I said to myself, 鈥淭his was a place where you could grow.鈥� I was very proud that I pushed myself to revisit and scrutinize the work that we had done, and look at areas where we could strengthen data collection. Also thinking, we should also strengthen the questions we ask ourselves about that data, and question assumptions about our school community, our students, the staff 鈥� and assumptions I was making about myself.

That was an eye-opening experience for me. I learned to question these assumptions we were making and really peel back the layers. I encouraged and supported the team to accomplish the same. This helped us look beyond our assumptions to make better decisions for improved student learning.

Albany Park鈥檚 2022 Design Challenge entry presented a program in which English language learners and newcomer students were given more autonomy in the classroom and in their learning experience. The program blended students鈥� needs with students鈥� choices to create a more effective, inclusive, collaborative school environment. Learn more about their Design Challenge project in our report Equity-Focused Innovation in Chicago鈥檚 Public Schools.

School teams developed their pitches over the course of two months and presented them to judges, who assessed the presentations based on the clarity of the problem and target populations served, how the team approached their work with an equity lens, and how they could utilize strategy, resources, and a continuous improvement framework to scale and expand their ideas to a larger school population. Each of the 14 competing teams walked away with funding to help advance their ideas.

Sayre Language Academy wins $10,000 Grand Prize.听

The school team from Sayre Language Academy presented on implementing a culturally responsive environment for their Black male students in third through fifth grade through a Watch their full presentation:听

The finalist runner-up teams will all receive $5000 to expand and scale their ideas.听

The Palmer Elementary school team presented their strategies to meet the specific needs of English language learners developing key literacy skills.听

North-Grand High School presented its work utilizing the Historically Responsive Literacy Framework outlined by Dr. Gholdy Muhammed to center student experiences on the content of their learning.听

Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy shared their plan to build a school-based garden that presents a common space for the school community while addressing health equity access to fresh, organic food.听

The Ogden International School of 海角直播presented how they will use accountability talk practices to advance social-emotional learning in their school to better support students and educators.

These winning ideas represent just a small sampling of the innovation of school leaders in Chicago鈥檚 public schools. To view all of the participating school presentations, please visit the Design Challenge .听

鈥淸The school] is really an extension of who I am and who I want to be,鈥� she said. 鈥淩ight down to every brick and mortar on the building, as well as with each child that walks through the building.鈥�

As a result of her dedication to Marquette, LaTarsha has taken strides to fostering a sense of empowerment inside and outside of her building, focusing particularly on parents, whom she sees as invaluable partners in the field of education.

Marquette itself is located in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the South Side of 海角直播and maintains an enrollment of about 1,300 students in grades K-8. LaTarsha has been principal at the school for several听years now, in addition to being a proud graduate of the 海角直播 system herself.

When asked what motivates her work, LaTarsha pointed to her experience attending Spelman College in Atlanta. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel prepared for the rigor of college. [This sparked my interest] in equity and access to education,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 started to understand who I am as a learner and I wanted to pass that on.鈥�

In addition to sharing this love of learning with her students, LaTarsha has worked to involve parents in the educational process as well. Through the support of , Marquette has launched a series of Saturday Academy workshops on topics including health and wellness, culinary arts, sculpture, pottery, and more, which are aimed at getting parents engaged.

鈥淧arents are vital in a child鈥檚 life, so we want to encourage them.鈥� she said. 鈥淸We saw] broad accomplishment this year: 23听to听43 parents are enrolled and there are now 150-250 applicants throughout the course of the year. Saturday Academy became a robust part of the school.鈥�

In addition to the Saturday Academy, LaTarsha has worked to implement several other methods of parent engagement within her school, such as a parent mentor program, a whole-school volunteering initiative, and a number of workshops aimed at helping parents stay involved.

Ultimately, LaTarsha believes the success of these endeavors are crucial in bridging the inequality placed on children without strong family involvement in their education.

鈥淸There are] families who don鈥檛 know how to advocate for themselves and their children,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur main focus has been on educating parents and including them in their child鈥檚 educational journey.

The inaugural Summer Design Program exposed participants to the most innovative approaches nationwide, guided them through a hands-on design process and connected them with local and national experts to help refine, implement and evaluate their ideas. At the completion of the Summer Design Program, The Fund awarded implementation grants to the most promising innovations and teams.

While the program has evolved over the years – including our biggest cohort yet this year! – we love this video featuring members of the inaugural cohort. Check it out!

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My name is Dolores Cupp, and I am the proud principal of . I鈥檝e been working with CPS students for over 20 years; I鈥檝e been principal at Hurley for the last nine听years. In my years both in and out of the classroom, I鈥檝e come to appreciate one truth: The more you learn; the more you come to realize how much you don鈥檛 know.

During a presentation I attended on the 鈥淪tudent-Centered Design Canvas,鈥� one concept stuck with me: personalized learning. In my years as principal, I鈥檓 proud to say that my staff had become pretty proficient in differentiation and using technology as a tool to provide both intervention and enrichment. But this concept, personalized learning, was on a whole different level. I knew I had to learn more, and I knew that my teachers and students deserved the chance to experience what would come to be one of the most powerful instructional strategies I know.

During , my teachers and I were interested in finding more time in our day to support our teachers’ PD. A shift in our master schedule was implemented, and we found the time we needed. We thought we were done. Through SDP, we were able to work with . As a result of working with LEAP, we found our issue was not in finding the time, it was in how to effectively use the time and resources we had.听 What my team and I received was support to create a shift in sight: in the way we saw our school; in the way we saw our students; and in the way we saw our staff. We were taught how to 鈥渟ee the problem鈥� and not get stopped by the barriers in our way. With our 鈥渢ime鈥� barrier out of the way…our team was left with the question of 鈥淲hat If.鈥�?鈥澨� This opened a whole world of possibilities.

When the application came out for the Summer Design Program 2016, I knew we couldn鈥檛 afford NOT to apply. We have a long way to go in our quest to find the way personalized learning and student-lead instruction fits into our school. I found that the shift in sight that I gained from participating in the program last year helped me to be a more effective member of my team as we dug deep to find the problem and come up with a prototype. The power in the 鈥淗ow Might We鈥�?鈥� tool produced ideas that we would have never imagined before. I鈥檓 excited to start this process again with a different team of my staff. I am excited to see the shift in sight and mind that we will develop as a team. But most of all, I鈥檓 excited to see the impact that this leaning will have on our students, our school, and our community. I am grateful for the opportunity.

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The Fund: You have placed a heavy emphasis on language programs at Talcott Elementary School. What has propelled you to advocate for such programs?

Olimpia Bahena: I was not born in the United States. I was born in Mexico and came here as an immigrant more than 20 years ago. I had experience as a French teacher and started my career as a bilingual teacher. I started a degree program and transferred to Talcott as a bilingual education teacher. Most students here at Talcott are minority. Forty-two percent are English Language Learners while听88听percent are low income. I proposed the implementation of dual language education. I presented this to the principal and then one year after, he supported the idea and we transitioned from a transitional bilingual program to a dual language program; now we have both. That makes Talcott a unique school.

The Fund: Your team participated in the Summer Design Program (SDP). Can you share more of your experience.

OB: My first direct experience with the Fund was one year ago when I applied to the SDP and was accepted. I think it was an awesome experience. Unfortunately, we couldn鈥檛 complete it as our team had to disband. However, working with the Fund was excellent. The Fund is very innovative鈥hat is the word that comes to mind. The process of SDP was very helpful because when we started the project, we ended up framing this around social emotional in the upper grades. How do we address unique needs for upperclassmen? I鈥檓 very excited. The work that I did with The Fund helped me out to really define what I want for the middle grades.

The Fund: Why are you a principal?

OB: I think that at the end of the day, you鈥檙e really passionate about your students. I always feel motivated and feel like I need to accomplish something. For me, personally, I just think that I just value education鈥攁s an immigrant, I can say education is worth it. I can see all this potential and I believe there is something we can do about it. I really love my job and when you face success, it keeps you going.

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Many of us dreaded the age old question, 鈥淲hat do you want to be when you grow up?鈥� It was a question filled with uncertainty. Often, even our tentative answers often proved inaccurate. For Principal Angela Sims of Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center, her path to school leadership was a very unconventional one.

The Fund: You have a nontraditional path to education. What did the journey to principalship look like?

Angela Sims (AS): I wasn鈥檛 someone who knew I wanted to go into education from the beginning. I wanted to be a dentist. My undergraduate degree is in biology and biochemistry. I went to dental school for two years and didn鈥檛 like it. I was pretty sick from doing something I didn鈥檛 like. In this interim time, I did medical research in the evenings and had my days free. A family friend was a principal and asked me if I wanted to be a substitute teacher and I had no interest. Yet, I started substitute teaching and loved it. I went back to school. I started teaching middle school science and reading for most of my career. I was placed into leadership positions or opportunities for growth and lead others. I was pushed into that by a former principal, and now I鈥檓 here!

The Fund: Can you tell us more about Lenart Regional Gifted Center?

AS: Our students are from all over the city of Chicago. We draw from the entire city, every single border, from Norwood Park to Edgewood. People think it鈥檚 a misnomer that these are just smart kids, but there are great needs for other types of experience for these students. There is a heightened mental capacity, but that means they are hyper sensitive and have either hyper sensory challenges or a deficiency in sensory skills. We have a very heavy focus of socio emotional needs of a students in a unique way. Being very gifted intellectually means finding ways to constantly challenge them and force them to think outside the box.

The Fund: You are a participant in The Fund鈥檚 Summer Design Program (SDP), which helps educators create and implement innovations that transform student learning in their classrooms or schools . Can you tell us more about the experience?

AS: We saw an opportunity to get this support and find a nice space to problem solve around an issue that we have been working towards. We are working on personalized learning for the gifted population. It鈥檚 capturing student interests and making the work relevant for the student.

The Fund: What about SDP stands out from other problem-solving activities you have done?

AS: It鈥檚 unique because we wouldn鈥檛 have spent this much time problem solving and trying to get to the root cause of what is going on. SDP has pushed us to think from different vantage points and different stakeholders. We probably wouldn鈥檛 have done this on our own. Had we not participated, we wouldn鈥檛 have spent as much time problem solving. We鈥檇 probably be less thoughtful and jump to potential solutions. It has been helpful of going through this process with the support of a coach as well as schools with similar work. It鈥檚 nice to work with thought partners and see schools who have had success with implementing their projects.

The Fund: Where are you now with the innovation?

AS: We are currently in the empathy stage of trying to see these problems from the perspectives of the students. We are confirming that our students are very compliant and will do what is asked without pushback or challenge, but a couple of them are bored and not challenged. We have been discussing our approach to instruction and moving towards a problem-based format with teachers being more facilitative. We are changing the way we look at the role of teachers as not just a giver, but a facilitator to help students learn on their own. We want to help students engage in meaningful tasks and connect their work to something that is current and relevant to see the connection of what they are learning.

The Fund: What motivates you on a daily basis?

AS: My students motivate me. I am a teacher at heart. I love talking about instruction. I sometimes walk into classrooms and forget that I am not the teacher. I didn鈥檛 really like school growing up. Despite doing well, I wasn鈥檛 challenged a lot. I want to make my students鈥� experiences relevant and exciting. We don鈥檛 realize the impact we have as children on educators. I want to make sure they have options and are exposed to as much as possible so they can make decisions that are meaningful to them. I went on a long path to figure out what I did well. I want to push students earlier on. The kids鈥� excitement for learning brings me back. They are amazing.

The Fund: Awesome! Thank you so much for your time and energy!

AS: No problem! Thank you!

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Principal Michelle Willis is a force to be reckoned with at Gillespie Elementary School. Eight years ago, she took over Gillespie, which was on probation and facing major administrative and academic issues. This year, CPS has designated Gillespie as a Level 1 school.

We decided to look further into the day in a life of this prominent educational leader. Nobody can say a principal鈥檚 day is easy. Be prepared; Principal Willis鈥� schedule is quite the whirlwind.

iReady

I sleep with my iPad and iPhone on my bedside. Both have my CPS e-mail attached. I鈥檓 checking email and texts before I鈥檓 even dressed. I have a quick response time, which helps me take advantage of opportunities.

Bright and Early

The school day starts at 8 a.m. I鈥檓 usually in the building 45 minutes before any of the children arrive. I walk the building and greet teachers at their doors. I鈥檓 usually not back in my office until 9 a.m.

Whirlwind Lunch

I have a whole Google Calendar list of things to do. I鈥檓 usually spending the middle of the day doing pop-in visits, helping to monitor lunch and recess. I don鈥檛 do any paperwork until the children leave at around 3:30 p.m. after some outdoor duty time.

Dedicated Hours

I spend 10 to 12 hours at my school every day. It鈥檚 a full day, especially when I have meetings. A lot of times, I spend these after hours trying to make sure I鈥檓 on top of everything. Honestly, I spend more time here than I do at home. Most nights, I leave alongside the janitors at around 7:30 p.m.

Weekend Shifts

I have a dedicated team of staff and teachers. Sometimes those teachers want to come in on the weekend to work or there might be a weekend sports event and the children need to be let into the school. I鈥檓 more than happy to spend time there on Saturday making sure those kids get to their sports events safely and that my teachers can access their classrooms if they want to work.

Spending 60-70 hours a week at school seems crazy to those of us who remember being on the edge of our seats, waiting for the bell to signal the end of our 40-hour school week; however, Principal Willis feels much differently: “Even when I was a teacher, it was never work. It was fun. I want to create well-rounded productive citizens, create and mold future leaders. This is my life work.”

鈥淚 try to make myself as accessible as professionally possible,鈥� Heather said. 鈥淢ost important, I reinforce to my students that we are in all this together and that our team can accomplish all of our goals if we cooperate.鈥�

Heather models this commitment to collaboration with her colleagues at SSFAA and beyond. For her 鈥� and most teachers – the best ideas are 鈥渂orrowed鈥� from other teachers, and she seeks opportunities to put this strategy in action. When she learned of The Fund鈥檚 inaugural Summer Design Program (SDP) in 2013, she quickly assembled a team from SSFAA.

鈥淲hen we saw the opportunity to get some assistance – both technical AND financial – with our plan to reduce wasted time and paper by using adaptive software, we knew we had to apply!鈥� Heather said. Through the SDP, Heather鈥檚 team used education software to integrate individualized instruction and assessment for students at SSFAA. This software compiled student data, allowing SSFAA teachers to personalize instruction without sacrificing time or resources.

Inspired by the success of the SDP, Heather sought more opportunities through The Fund. She applied to serve on The Fund鈥檚 Educator Advisory Committee (EAC), knowing it would help her see her best ideas in the classrooms of many, many colleagues.

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My name is Karin Breo and I鈥檝e been working in education for 20听years. I鈥檝e been a principal for three years at the CICS Irving Park campus on the north side of Chicago. My favorite part of being a principal is learning and collaborating with my team to make our school the very best it can be for our students, families and teachers.

When I applied for the ,听I was interested in fostering curiosity and drive with our students to motivate and challenge them. I felt that by enhancing teacher practice and building stronger relationships with our students, we听would increase engagement.

Having the opportunity to be a part of the SDP听challenged me to learn and to think about our approach differently.听 I learned the importance of time, talent and technology and ways in which to redesign the school experience to better fit the needs of our students.

Through our follow-up support work with LEAP Innovations, we have received some of the best professional development of my career.听 The work that we have done with them has had a measurable impact on the day-to-day lives of the students and families our school serves. The opportunity to work with consultants, such as Furman Brown of Sensible Innovation, has helped us to empathize with all members of our school community so that we can design a school experience that supports all students at their level.

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Thanks for sharing part of your story with us, Karin. Chicago’s students are lucky to have you!听

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